Why shift to Edgewalker Academy?

The core message of the Connection Revolution was about changing the world. And in our two years leading the Connection Revolution, we noticed two disconnects between our core message and the people who have actually been showing up.

The first thing we noticed is that we attracted many people who wanted to change the world with political activism, sending food to Africa, and those sorts of things. They felt frustrated when they heard our message that to change the world, you must first connect with yourself. We want to be more clear about what we do, what we stand for, and who we help, and an academy is a place where you go for learning, growth, and transformation. (We envision Edgewalker Academy being more like Hogwarts than like a stuffy university.)

The second thing we noticed is that many people were drawn to us and our work, but changing the world isn’t on their to-do lists. Some are struggling with being fully themselves in their lives, and changing the world is the farthest thing from their minds. Some are feeling unfulfilled, and seeking fulfillment at a personal level (meaningful work, loving relationships, wholehearted living) instead of at a global level. Do we want to help those people? YES! Absolutely! So we don’t want to wave a flag of world-changing, because those people might take a quick glance and decide, “That’s not for me.”

What is an edgewalker?

An edgewalker is someone who doesn’t fit in with the center, the mainstream.

An edgewalker is someone who has turned away from the center or has been pushed out – out to the edges.

An edgewalker is someone who lives on the edge of what’s accepted, what’s known, what’s possible.

An edgewalker is an explorer of dreams, of possibilities, of new ways to be.

Long ago, edgewalkers were revered and given positions of honor in society. Shaman, wise woman, medicine man. Now, edgewalkers are cast out by a society desperately addicted to stagnation, a society terrified of the transformation we will bring – the transformation that we are, by our very nature.

Am I an edgewalker?

You might be an edgewalker if:

You followed the rules. You achieved “success.” Your friends tell you how much they envy your life, your career, your home. But you just brush it off, because you know that you still feel empty inside, like you took a wrong turn somewhere, like this isn’t the life you’re meant to be living.

You feel disconnected from your family of origin, because none of your life choices are what they wanted for you. You dread the annual family get-togethers because you inevitably get cornered by family members who harass you with an endless barrage of criticisms about your life, couched as “helpful advice.” You’ve always been the black sheep. Sometimes you take pride in that, but sometimes it just feels lonely.

It didn’t take you long to realize that your parents’ religion was not right for you. It took you a little longer to extract yourself from its grasping tendrils, but you eventually managed to escape. Since then, you’ve forged a slightly bitter peace with your religion of origin, but lately you’ve been wondering if maybe you’ve thrown the baby of spirituality out with the bathwater of religion. You find yourself drawn to Rumi, The Dalai Lama, Alan Watts, Eckhart Tolle. You’re skeptical of dipping a toe back into the water you almost drowned in, but your curiosity outweighs your fear.

You used to love going to the movies, but you’re finding more and more that Hollywood seems to be ignoring your silent requests, and is instead producing more and more violent schlock and shallow, corny romcoms each year. You never really pegged yourself as an indie movie buff, but you’re having to look outside the mainstream just to find movies that don’t hurt you or offend you. You can’t even browse Netflix anymore because you feel like you have to take a bath after looking at the covers of some of the stuff that pops up.

You know you’re different. You wear your freak flags like badges of honor. You can list all the ways you’re discriminated against as easily as reading off a grocery list, and you can enumerate all the things that are wrong with the mainstream even more easily. You want to change the world. You’ve been angrily battering at the world for years, and the world has been battering you right back. You’re exhausted, tired from the struggle, and now you’re finally ready to slow down, take a step back, and ask yourself, “What if there’s a better way?”

You see the world through the eyes of a child, filled with wonder and delight at everything around you. It often baffles you when other people walk through life with eyes glazed over. You’ve been labeled naive, overly idealistic, and “too sensitive.” The message you heard over and over and over was, “something’s wrong with me.” But recently you’ve started to wonder… what if something’s wrong with everyone else?

What’s changing?

We’re changing our name. We’re shifting our message to make it more clear what we do and who we help.

We’re stepping into our own sovereignty and relying less on standing on the shoulders of giants. You’ll see more Pace and Kyeli and fewer guest speakers and co-teachers.

Edgewalker Academy will have a consistent feel. Instead of a hodgepodge of vaguely related things, you’ll see a coherent body of work.

We’ll be providing text transcripts of all our videos as soon as our assistant Heidi returns from maternity leave.

The compass on the right, and “Align”, symbolize aligning with your heart’s compass and following your path. That’s Pace’s specialty.

“Transform” is in the middle because that’s what Edgewalker Academy is all about.

One thing the Connection Revolution was lacking was, ironically, connection! Edgewalkers often feel alone, and we’re creating a strong community so we can all connect with each other in a space that’s both safe and empowering. It’s called the Edgewalker Academy Commons. It’s a Facebook group – a closed group, so you can share things without worrying about the entire internet seeing them. Also, this will give us a central place to discuss and comment on blog posts and eZine articles. In fact, people are probably talking about all these changes right now; come on over and check it out!

What’s staying the same?

We’ll still be teaching. We’ll teach different courses, but the focus will be the same – on different ways to follow your dreams.

We’ll still be coaching. Pace’s Pathfinder Program is perfectly poised to help edgewalkers, and Kyeli’s Phoenixification Program also fits in beautifully.

We’ll still be publishing the Edgewalker Weekly and sharing free resources here on the blog – articles and videos we hope will inspire you and help you live a wholehearted life.

We’re still the same Pace and Kyeli we’ve always been! Our hearts are in the same place, and we’re as passionate and wholehearted about Edgewalker Academy as we always are about everything we do!

What about the Connection Revolution?

And here’s the secret: Edgewalkers are the ones who are going to change the world. The world certainly won’t be changed by those people who answered “yes” to all of those questions above, who are perfectly content with the status quo.

Unfolding into your true self?

Living your dreams?

Now that’s revolutionary.

What now?

To celebrate this big shift, we created a workbook called Unmask Yourself, and it’s free to everyone who signs up for our Edgewalker Weekly eZine. It’s a 27-page PDF packed full of our best tips, inspiration, and resources for living a more authentic, wholehearted life. If you’re already subscribed, the workbook is already waiting for you in your inbox. If not, you can sign up now and receive Unmask Yourself immediately.